Marine structure that is resistant to storm damage

ABSTRACT

A marine structure that is resistant to storm damage has been developed. The structure includes a structural frame and slats that are attached to the structural frame to form a surface of the marine structure. The slats are installed with a width to gap ratio between 2.29:1 and 2.40:1. This configuration minimizes the surface area of the marine structure exposed to a storm surge while still providing a comfortable surface for a user.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to marine construction. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to a marine structure thatis resistant to storm damage.

2. Background Art

Water front buildings often have additional marine structures such aspiers, docks, decks, etc. built adjacent to and extending out over thewater. These marine structures, especially those built on ocean or bayfront property, are vulnerable to damage from storms. This isparticularly true with hurricanes and the resulting storm surge of highwater. Under these conditions, marine structures with a large surfacearea are often destroyed by the water which tears the surface structureaway from the frame. Consequently, a marine structure that minimizes thesurface area in order to resist storm damage is desirable.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In some aspects, the invention relates to a marine structure,comprising: a structural frame; and a plurality of slats that areattached to the structural frame to form a surface of the marinestructure, where the plurality of slats have a width to gap ratiobetween 2.29:1 and 2.40:1.

In other aspects, the invention relates to a marine structure,comprising: a structural frame; and means for providing a surface forthe marine structure with a plurality of slats attached to thestructural frame, where the slats have a width to gap ratio between2.29:1 and 2.40:1.

In other aspects, the invention relates to a pier, comprising: astructural frame comprising pilings and cross beams that are attached tothe pilings; and a plurality of slats the are attached to the crossbeams to form a surface of the pier, where the slats have a width ofabout 1¾ inches and where the gap between slats is about ¾ inches.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

It should be noted that identical features in different drawings areshown with the same reference numeral.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the installed slats in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an individual slat in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A pier that is resistant to storm damage has been developed. Theinvention includes a frame structure and slats that are 1¾ inches wideand spaced ¾ inches apart. The invention can successfully withstand asurge from a storm such as a hurricane without the destruction and lossof the slats. The slats reduce the amount of surface area exposed to thesurge of water while still providing a solid and comfortable walkingsurface.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view 10 of the orientation of oneembodiment of the installed on a pier. The invention has a structuralframe 12 that supports multiple slats 14 that are installed as a walkingsurface or “deck” of the pier. The structural frame may be any standardtype frame of a marine structure that is known in the art such as acombination of pilings and cross beams of standard lumber sizes. In thisexample, the slats 14 are spaced ¾ inches apart 16. The slats may beinstalled parallel or perpendicular to the “direction of travel” a userwill take when walking on the pier. The slats 14 are shown fastened tothe frame 12 with a screw 18 or alternatively a nail 20. Other fasteningmechanisms that are known in the art are also acceptable for use inalternative embodiments. FIG. 2 shows a detailed cross-sectional view 22of an individual slat 14 in the example of the invention show in FIG. 1.The slat 14 has a width 24 of 1¾ inches and a height 26 of 1 inch. Also,the corners of the slat 14 are rounded for comfort and aesthetics with aradius of ¼ inches.

When designing a marine structure, it is desirable to minimize thesurface area that will be exposed to a storm surge. The pounding of thewater will easily tear away the slats from the structural framework ifthe slats are placed to close together. Instead, if the slats are spacedfar enough apart, the water of the storm surge will pass through thedeck without damaging the structure. However, this must be balanced withthe need for a comfortable and convenient surface for any user. If theslats are spaced too far apart, the surface will be uncomfortable towalk on. Additionally, small children may trip on the gaps between theslats. Also, large gaps in the surface will not prevent items that aredropped from falling into the water.

The present invention uses a “width to gap ratio” to specify the ratioof the width of each individual slat to the distance between each slatwhen installed. A width to gap ratio of as little as 2.29:1 or as greatas 2.40:1 has been found to provide a surface that is resistant todamage and also comfortable for a user. In the example shown in FIGS. 1and 2, the width to gap ratio is 2.33:1. In some embodiments,construction of a structure utilizing these ratios will result in a slatthat is 11/2 inches wide with a gap of ⅝ inches between slats. In otherembodiments, the slat will be 2 inches wide with a gap of ⅞ inchesbetween slats.

While the present invention has been described as a pier, dock or othersimilar structure that has a surface that is parallel to the water'ssurface, other embodiments of the invention could include walls ofstructures such as boat houses that are perpendicular to the water'ssurface. It should be understood that the term “marine structure” isintended to include all of these types of structures. In otherembodiments, a chemical treatment such as CA or CCA may be added to theslats to help protect the structure against parasite infestation, decay,fungus, etc. Any treatment to help prevent these problems that is knownin the art is acceptable for use with the present invention. Finally,the height to the individual slats does not affect the width to gapratio and therefore may vary in alternative embodiments. The rounding ofcorners is optional and other radii could be used in alternativeembodiments.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited numberof embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of thisdisclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised whichdo not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed here.Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by theattached claims.

1. A marine structure, comprising: a structural frame; and a pluralityof slats that are attached to the structural frame to form a surface ofthe marine structure, where the plurality of slats has a width to gapratio between 2.29:1 and 2.40:1.
 2. The marine structure of claim 1,where the width to gap ratio is 2.33:1.
 3. The marine structure of claim1, where the plurality of slats each have a width of 1¾ inches and a gapbetween each slat of ¾ inches.
 4. The marine structure of claim 1, wherethe plurality of slats each have a width of 1½ inches and a gap betweeneach slat of ⅝ inches.
 5. The marine structure of claim 1, where theplurality of slats each have a width of 2 inches and a gap between eachslat of ⅞ inches.
 6. The marine structure of claim 1, where theplurality of slats are attached to the structural frame with screws. 7.The marine structure of claim 1, where the plurality of slats areattached to the structural frame with nails.
 8. The marine structure ofclaim 1, where the plurality of slats are each 1 inch in height.
 9. Themarine structure of claim 1, where the plurality of slats each includesrounded corners.
 10. The marine structure of claim 9, where the roundedcorners have a radius of ¼ inch.
 11. A marine structure, comprising: astructural frame; and means for providing a surface for the marinestructure with a plurality of slats attached to the structural frame,where the slats have a width to gap ratio between 2.29:1 and 2.40:1. 12.A pier, comprising: a structural frame comprising pilings and crossbeams that are attached to the pilings; and a plurality of slats the areattached to the cross beams to form a surface of the pier, where theslats have a width of about 1¾ inches and where the gap between slats isabout ¾ inches.
 13. The pier of claim 12, where the plurality of slatsare attached to the cross beams with screws.
 14. The pier of claim 12,where the plurality of slats are attached to the cross beams with nails.